Many of our students attended this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA), held in San Diego, November 10 – 14. What follows is a post from one of these attendees.
By Lacy Campbell, BS
APHA offered so many enlightening speakers that it made it hard to choose which to attend. The one event I felt I learned the most was Maternal Health: Labor, Delivery, and Postpartum Care. Dr. Debra Whisenant of the University of Alabama presented on the relationship between the University of Alabama and maternity homes in Cuba. Long ago, the government of Cuba made the decision to make maternal and child health a priority. Due to this commitment, they created maternity homes for pregnant women to safeguard their health if they were considered at-risk during their pregnancy. Dr. Whisenant has visited Cuba and seen firsthand the impact these homes have on the health of pregnant mothers and infants. Their health has flourished in a country that lacks the technology we see in the United States. Such outcomes in Cuba inspired me to challenge the current status quo and to seek to make maternal and child health a priority in the US.
Prior to attending APHA, I was quite confident that the field of public health was full of kind and caring persons, and after APHA, I can say I know for certain. Every person I met at the conference was willing to take the time to speak with me, to discuss my interests and their passions. They were willing to help a first-semester student who doesn’t quite have it all figured out. Each person who extended help was genuine, and thus confirmed that public health was the field for me. I met other students as well, whom I know will one day make a difference in our shared field. It confirmed that I made the right choice by attending Tulane. The Center for Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Scholar Program has granted me such enriching experiences that I would not have otherwise had.
Lacy Campbell, BS, is a first-year MPH student concentrating in Maternal and Child Health. Her anticipated graduation is May 2020. Lacy’s interests include policy concerning maternal and child health and nutrition. Outside of class, she enjoys baking, walking in Audubon Park, and reading.
